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E. A. ROSS.

DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 1911,

1,3 1 ,807. Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

FIG.

If? /o /2 nv vsw ran 42: WIN ,9 R066 EDWIN A. ROSS, 0h VENICE, CALIFORNIA DENTAL-FLOES HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Sept. 23, 19119;

Application filed May a, 1917. Serial No. 165,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN A. Boss; a citizen of the United States, residing at Venice, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dental-Floss Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dental floss holders and consists in the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

Figure l is a side elevation illustrating the device with parts broken away to more clearly disclose the tension mechanisml Fig. 2 is a side elevation at right angles to Fig. 1 and disclosing the general design of the holder and its handle.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective illustrating the pin by which the floss is secured to the tension rod.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail on the'line H of-Fig. 1.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates the base of a dental floss holder. which is here shown as formed with a central bore 11 within which a tubular floss holder 12 extends. This floss holder is exteriorly threaded to engage threads within.

the threads of the floss holder do not engage the bore of the base. Formed integral with the end of the floss holder is a tension rod 16 which extends along :in extension bore of reduced diameter in the neck 17 of the .ntegzral with the base and at the end of the neck is a fork having prongs 22 and 23. These prongs extend outwardly and are fitted with grooves 24 in their ends to receivc the strand of floss and to holda portion of it taut, as indicated by the numeral 25 in Fig. 1. In order to permit the floss holder to slide within the base without rotating, :1 lug 26 is formed within the bore of the base and extends into a groove which is formed the length of the floss holder.

In operation a spool of floss is placed within the bore of the flossholder and the end of the floss is passed out through an opening in the end or the floss holder. This thread is drawn out through the slot 19 in the neck of the bore and thereafter unwound from the floss spool so that it will be of a length sufficient to pass around the fork and back to the pinlS. The floss is. then positioned in the slot 20 of the pin and wrapped around the body of the pin several times, then it is led over the'prong 22 across the end of the fork and from the prong 9.3 to the pin again. Here it is drawn through the groove in the head of the pin and thereafter wound several times around it. The handle 14 is then rotated in a clockwise direction and, due to the fact that the thread upon the bobbin andwithin the handle is left-handed, the bobbin will be retracted.

This will cause the pin 18 to be drawn along 4 the pin, the floss 25 will be drawn very tight,

thus permitting it to be conveniently used.

lt will thus be seen that the device here disclosed is simple and compact in its design and provides a floss holder and container which will permit the floss to be withdrawn from the container and tensioned upon the holder.

While I have shown the preferred form of my dental floss holder as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departin from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1

1. In a dental floss holder, a handle having an internal screw-thread from one end, a floss holder screw-seated in the handle and extending from the end of the handle and having a longitudinal central open1ng, a base having a bore from one end to receive the floss holder and an extension bore ex tending fromthe first bore and a slot communicating with the extension bore; said end of the base fitting against the end of the handle; a floss spool mounted in the floss holder. a tension rod extending from the end of the floss holder into theextension bore a fastening pin at the opposite end of the tension rod from the floss holder and extending through the slot in' the base, and a fork extending from the opposite end of the base from the handle. 2. In a dental floss holder, a handle having an internalscrew-thread from one end, a floss holder screw-seated in the handle and extending from the end of the handle and. having a longitudinal central opening, a

niulueating with the extension bore; said end of the base-fitting against the end of the handle; 'a floss spoo mounted in the floss tending through the slot in the base, a fork extending from the opposite end of the base from the handle, and dental floss wound upon the floss spool and extending out'of the floss holder and through the slot and passing around the ends of the fork and back to and attaehed to the fastening pin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. i t I EDWIN A. ROSS. 

